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2 Shets-Sheet 1.

(N0 Model.)

. w. I. RICHARDS. UNLOGKING DEVICE FOR GAR COUPLINGS. No. 592.885.

Patented Nov. 2, 1897.

66 VENTOP ATTQR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. 5

(No Model.) 7

, W. P. RICHARDS.

UNLOOKING DEVIQE FOR OAR COUPLINGS. No. 592,885.

Patent-ed Nov. 9 j

INVENTOR.

WITNESSES.

ATTORN EYS.

positively looking it in NITED STATES WILLARD F. RICHARDS, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AssienoR TO THE GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, OF NEW YoRK, N. Y.

UNLOCKING DE V IC E CAR-COUPLINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,885, dated November 2, 1897.- Application filed December 17, 1896. SerialNo. 615,958. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLARD F. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Im provement in Unlocking Devices for Car- Oouplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the unlocking de- Vices employed for retracting the lock of carcouplers having a horizontally swinging coupling jaw or knuckle whichis held in its closed position by the lock, and more particularly to devices of this kind which consist of a transverse shaft journaled at the end of the car and having an arm connected with the lock of the car-coupling and a depending ac tuating-arm at one or both ends, whereby the shaft can beturned without entering between the cars. In some cases this unlocking-shaft extends only from the center of the car to one side thereof, whilein other cases it extends across the car and terminates at each end in an actuating arm or handle, so that itcan be operated from either side of the car. The shaft has usually been constructed of wrought-iron, and when such a long shaft is employed the central arm of the shaft connected with the lock must be welded to the shaft, and thisoperation materially increases the cost of the device.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an unlocking-shaft which avoids the use of such a welded arm and which can be readily converted into a long or a short shaft, as desired.

In the unlocking devices heretofore commonly used the shaft is loose or unrestrained in the normal position of the lock, and when two cars come together the concussion causes the depending actuating-arms of the shaft to swing forwardly, turning the shaft in the di: rection in which it lifts the lock, often to such an extent as to unlock the knuckle. The shaft has also been provided with means for position for supporting the lock when raised, but such a positive locking device is objectionable, because in case the chain or connection between the lock of the coupling and the lifting-arm is too long the lock is not fully retracted and the parts of the unlocking device are liable to be injured by the outward movement of the draw-bar.

s It is a further object of my invention to provide the unlocking shaft with reliable means which prevents accidental turning thereof in the normal position of the lock and which serves to retain the shaft in position for supporting the retracted look under ordinary conditions, but at the same time allows the shaft to yield to the movement of the draw-bar in case the lock is not fully lifted.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure l is a fragmentary end View of a car-body provided with my improved unlocking device. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the unlocking device with the car-body shown in section. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is a transverse section, on an enlarged scale, in line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section of the lock-lifting arm and the segment on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is a vertical section in line 6 6, Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of the segment and the shoe of the locklifting arm, showing a modified construction of these parts.

Like letters of reference refer to'like parts in the several figures.

A is the draw-head, A the knuckle, and A the usual chairror link connected'at its lower end with the lock of the car-coupling. This lock, which is not shown in the drawings, is of the vertically-movable type and may be of any ordinary construction.

In the drawings a long transverse unlocking-shaft is shown, which is supported at or near each end in a bearing 19, secured to the end of the car, and is composed of two separate lengths or sections 13 B, preferably of wrought-iron, each of which sections is pro vided at its outer end with an actuating-arm B These shaft-sections are connected at their inner ends by an independent head 0, which carries the lock-lifting arm D and forms a hub for the same. This arm is connected at its free end with the. chain or link A in the usual manner.

The hdb or head 0 is preferably constructed of cast metal and is provided in its ends with horizontal sockets e, which receive the inner ends of the shaft-sections B B, as shown in Fig. 4, the sockets being preferably oblong or flat-sided in cross-section and the ends of the shaft-sections being correspondingly formed, as shown in Fig. 6. The shaft-sections are removably secured in these sockets bycotters for othersuitable means. iyconstructing the lifting-arm separately from the shaft the expense of welding the arm to the middle portion of a continuous wrought-iron shaft is obviated, and by making the shaft in separate removable sections one of the sections be readily removed in case a short shaft is desired.

The rear portion of the lifting-arm is bifurcated, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, and each jaw 61 of this bifurcated portion carries one of the shaft-sockets c.

G is an upright stationary segment, quadrant, or standard arranged between the jaws d of the lifting-arm and formed 011 or secured to a base-plate G, secured to the upper side of the buffer beam or block H of the car. The lifting-arm is pivoted to this segment by a horizontal pin or bolt '5, passing through the segment and the bottom of the sockets 6. One end of this pin is preferably provided with a head i and its other end is upset after inserting the pin, as shown in Fig. 4, for retaining the pin in place in the absence of the shaft'sections. If desired, this pin may be held in place simply by the inner ends of the shaft-sections.

J is a retaining shoe or block carried by the lifting-arm and bearing against or engaging with the adjacent curved edge of the segment G, so as to hold the arm and the unlockingshaft in any position. into which these parts may be turned within the range of the segment. The block is preferably yielding and guided between the outer parallel portions of the jaws d of the arm D, as shown in Fig. t, and its face is curved to conform to the outwardly-facing curved edge of the segment, as shown in Fig. 5.

k is a spring arranged in a longitudinal socket 7c'--of the lifting-arm D and bearing at its front end against the bottom of said socket and at its opposite end against the rear side of the yielding block, so as constantly to force the block against the segment. This frictional retaining device holds the shaft B B in any position into which it may be turned, and it thus not only holds the shaft in position after turning the same for raising the look, but also resists vibration of the actuating-arms of the shaft in the normal lowered position of the lock, thus effectually preventing the accidental lifting or retraction of the lock from the concussion of the ears in coupling. This yielding feature of the retainingblock is also advantageous in case'the chain or connect-ion between the lock and the lifting-arm is so long that the lock is not fully retracted when the arm is swung upwardly, in which case the lock does not release the knuckle and the car remains coupled to the preceding car.

\Vhen under the above conditions the shaft is positively retained in position, as in the devices heretofore employed, and the car is drawn forward with the train, the outward movement of the draw-bar takes up the slack of the chain and strains the same, rendering it liable to break, or if the chain remains intact causing the lifting-arm of the shaft to be bent or broken. By the employment of a yielding retaining device such as herein shown and described the shaftv is held in either of its positions with sufficient security under ordinary circumstances, and yet allowed to yield to the outward movement of the draw-bar in case the lock is not fully retracted by reason of the chain being too long. This construction has the further advantage of permitting a certain variation in the length of the chain, as the shaft is not locked in but a single predetermined position, as in the devices heretofore employed, but can be held in any desired position.

For the purpose of rendering the retaining device more secure the contiguous faces of the segment G and the retaining-shoe may be roughened by corru gating the same or by providing them with double inclined teeth, as shown in Fig. 7.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with the transverse unlocking-shaft having an actuating-arm at its outer end, of a standard adapted to be secured to the end of the car adjacent to the inner end of said shaft, and a separate lifting-arm adapted to be connected with the lock of a car-coupling and pivoted to said standard by a horizontal pin and having at its inner end a transverse socket which receives the inner end of said shaft, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the transverse unlocking-shaft composed of separate sections terminating at or near the sides of the car and each provided at its outer end with an actuating-arm, of a standard adapted to be socured centrally to the end of the ear, and a separate lock-lifting arm having a bifurcated rear portion which straddles said standard and is pivoted thereto by a horizontal pin, the jaws of said bifurcated portion being provided with transverse sockets which receive the inner ends of said shaft-sections, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the transverse unlocking-shaft having a forwardly-projccting lifting-arm adapted to be connected with the lock of a car-coupling and having also an actuating-arm which swings lengthwise of the car in turning the unlocking-shaft, of a friction al retaining device which resists the turning movement of said shaft and holds the same in any position within the range of its movement, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the unlockingshaft having a lifting-arm adapted to be connected With the lock of a car-coupling, of a locking-shaft having an actuating-arm, of a fixed upright segment, a bifurcated liftingarm secured to said shaft and having a longitudinal socket in rear of its bifurcated portion, a retaining-shoe arranged between the jaws of said bifurcated arm and bearing against said segment, and a spring arranged in the longitudinal socket of the lifting-arm and tending to force said shoe against said segment, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 11th day of December, 1896.

WILLARD F. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

JNo. J. BONNER, CARL F. GEYER. 

